Thursday marked the last official day of Mixed Game Festival IX, and what a day it was! After five exciting days on and off the felt, the Festival got the conclusion it well deserved, with the first of three mixed game tournaments on the 2024 NAPT schedule crowning its winner. It was David Prociak, who took home the title and over $10,000 following a three-way ICM chop.
The action continued in the cash game arena, too, although there was only one table of $4/$8 going on throughout the day. This was expected, as players headed over to the tournament area to join the action in the 2024 PokerStars NAPT $550 HEROS event and place their claim on the ever-elusive “spadie.” Still, several familiar faces popped up to say hi and join the fun even if just for little while, including Chris Wallace and Ari Engel, Jonathan Little and Justin Saliba, the man who discovered his passion for non-Hold’em variations precisely thanks to the Mixed Game Festival.
Welcome to @PokerLifeMedia Mixed Game Festival IX @AriEngelPoker and WSOP HORSE champ @foxpokerfox!
Wanna play $4/8 dealer’s choice with the poker celebs?
Head on over to @PokerRoomRWLV and join us for the final day of our festival! pic.twitter.com/M2rWA1dbuz
— Robbie Strazynski (@cardplayerlife) November 7, 2024
📣👉 Thank you to @PokerCoaching_‘s @JonathanLittle for stopping by @PokerRoomRWLV for @cardplayerlife‘s Mixed Game Festival IX! 👍🥳#PokerLifeMedia pic.twitter.com/TeOpYLBfMX
— Cardplayer Lifestyle (@PokerLifeMedia) November 7, 2024
Happy birthday to the always wonderful @Justin_Saliba 🥳
Thanks for coming to visit us at @PokerLifeMedia Mixed Game Festival IX 🙏 pic.twitter.com/IwswxeROj0
— Robbie Strazynski (@cardplayerlife) November 8, 2024
To the delight of tournament organizers, the $550 HEROS event drew in quite a crowd, including several big names who threw their hats in the ring.
Playing the HEROS mixed tournament at @PokerStars NAPT.@AllenKessler is here. He probably thinks the S is for Slots.
— Barny Boatman (@barnyboatman) November 7, 2024
The presence of big names in the field meant that those not as experienced would have harder time making a deep run. On the other hand, this certainly helped raise the profile of the event, and what amateur players may have lost in terms of pure EV was certainly more than made up for with great experience at the tables.
Poker Heroes & Those Looking to Become Ones
The $550 HEROS event was the first of the three mixed game tournaments included in this year’s PokerStars NAPT schedule. It is your usual HORSE tournament with letters slightly jumbled to make it sound cooler – and it works!
Tournaments that are not of Hold’em or PLO variety often struggle to attract players even during major festivals like WSOP, but this was not the case yesterday. By the time the late registration closed, the tournament clock was showing 108 entries. For a mixed-game event, a three-digit turnout is a big success in everyone’s book!
This turnout resulted in a prize pool of $51,840, with $13,550 of it sated to be awarded to the eventual winner. A total of 15 players made money, with the min-cash being $880.
But it wasn’t just the sheer number of players that made this HEROS event a success. The field featured a mix of casual mixed-game lovers, semi-serious players, and a number of well-known pros. This third category included the likes of Anthony Zinno, Barny Boatman, Allen Kessler, and Ari Engel.
Kicking off the @PokerLifeMedia $550 HEROS tournament at @PokerStarsUSA NAPT Las Vegas!
Faces in the crowd include @AllenKessler and @PokerStars ambassador @barnyboatman. pic.twitter.com/GjtQ7fFyBh
— Robbie Strazynski (@cardplayerlife) November 7, 2024
Engel, who made a deep run in the event, eventually busting in 9th place, kept himself busy by also playing a $400 online bracelet event, and notably managed to go all the way in that one, claiming his fourth bracelet!
Won bracelet #4 in an online 400 turbo while playing @cardplayerlife napt $550 horse live. I was 6 of the 500 entrants
— Ari Engel (@AriEngelPoker) November 8, 2024
With Ari’s exit, the official final table was formed, but it took a few more hours of play before the winner was eventually crowned. Allen Kessler, among the most well known of the final eight, was the first one eliminated.
We have reached the final table of the @PokerLifeMedia $550 NAPT HEROS event.@DavidProciakPok and @AllenKessler still in the mix, among the top 8, vying for the $13,550 top prize. pic.twitter.com/EXrFjSr3Vw
— Robbie Strazynski (@cardplayerlife) November 8, 2024
Following Kessler to the rail were J.J. Volpe, Andrew Lavander, Jackson Traub, and Matthew Schultz, bringing the tournament down to the final three players: Michael Lang, Steven Girouard, and David Prociak.
The trio exchanged some blows and moved chips around for a while, but eventually, due to the late hour, they agreed to a three-way ICM chop, with David Prociak claiming the official title and $10,100 in cash for his efforts. Girouard got $9,550 out of the deal, while Lang took home $8,880.
Pokercoaching.com Player of the Day
There was also another title awarded – that of Pokercoaching.com player of the day. That distinction went to one PJ Souder, a man who literally stumbled upon the Mixed Game Festival while roaming the hallways of the Resort World.
Souder had seen a number of people around the property wearing Mixed Game Festival T-shirts and this piqued his interest. So, he got over to the poker room, found a seat, and he was immediately treated to a drink and a free shirt of his own. This clearly left quite an impression on him, so he stuck around.
While Souder may be new to the Mixed Game Festival, he’s no stranger to mixed games, as he’s been playing them for some 15 years. It all started at Hollywood Park, Florida with a $12/$24 Stud/Omaha mix, and he was immediately hooked. This was just the change he needed from the repetitiveness of Texas Hold’em.
Unlike many who came to Vegas specifically for poker shenanigans, the California resident found himself here by accident, accompanying his wife, who came into town for a conference. It’s funny how things work out sometimes.
As far as his experience at the Festival, despite being there only for a short while, Souder described it as “one of the most fun games he played in his life.”
Having been selected the Pokercoaching.com Player of the Day, Souder will get 3 free months of access to the poker training site. He describes himself as more of a feel player who doesn’t really study the game in a traditional way, but maybe this opportunity will inspire him to give it a try.
It’s a Wrap, but Not the End
This officially concludes the Mixed Game Festival IX, showing once again that there is plenty of love for non-traditional poker variations, and many players ready to jump at the opportunity to get in on some mixed-game action. In case you missed the action, be sure to check out our Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, and Day 4 recaps.
While the official part of the Festival may be over, the good news is that PokerStars has included two more mixed game events on the 2024 NAPT schedule. Today (Friday) will see a $5,300 Cardplayer Lifestyle 8-Game event with unlimited reentries. Poker Hall of Famer Eli Elezra will be looking to defend his title against what’s likely to be a small, but extremely strong field consisting mostly of mixed game sharks.
Finally, on Saturday, November 9, there is another $550 event featuring the 8-game mix! If you’ve missed your opportunity in the HEROS event, you can have a do-over in this one!
In the end, the only thing I can say is this: if you love mixed games or if you’re someone looking to learn, Cardplayer Lifestyle’s Mixed Game Festivals should most certainly be on your radar. It’s non-stop action at very affordable stakes and in a great environment with chill people and free food and drinks – what more could you possibly ask for?
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